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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 02: Isaiah Joe #11 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dribbles the ball against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on January 02, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The OKC Thunder parted ways with bench sharpshooter Isaiah Joe, trading him to the Detroit Pistons for two second-round draft picks on Saturday morning.
While it may be hard for Thunder fans to bid goodbye to an adored role player, the trade still brings good news to the team, more than the draft capital they got.
The deal allowed the Thunder to shave their tax penalty by $76 million after the trade. They are also now just $18.8 million above the dreaded second apron.
The Thunder is now at $390 million in total expenses for their roster, leaving the OKC general manager Sam Presti to have plenty more work to do to cut to an even more palatable number for the team entering next season.
The Thunder reduce their luxury tax penalty by $76 million by trading Isaiah Joe.
They’ve reduced it by $140 million so far between this and trading Aaron Wiggins.
They’re sitting at $390 million in total roster expenses and $18.8 million above the second apron.
The Joe trade came following the Thunder’s deal last week that brought Aaron Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks for two future second-round picks, the same package OKC got in the Joe deal.
Joe, who played a key bench role in the Thunder’s 2025 NBA championship run, had arguably his best season with the Thunder in their 2025-2026 campaign, putting up 11.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting an elite 42.3% from 3-point range.
However, his numbers plummeted in the postseason, averaging 4.8 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 13 games during the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
Joe will enter next season earning $11.3 million with the Pistons, a team that finished No. 1 in the Eastern Conference last year. He will have a team option in the 2027-2028 season.
GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – APRIL 02: Isaiah Joe #11 of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrates after a play during the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Paycom Center on April 2, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
The answer to this question is pretty easy.
In the 2026 NBA draft, the Thunder selected Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz with the No. 16 pick, an asset they acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies.
Stirtz is widely regarded as an elite, high-volume shooter, just like Joe.
Stirtz recorded efficient shooting splits of 47.7% from the field, 35.8% from 3-point range on roughly seven attempts per game, and 84.8% from the free-throw line during his final 2025-2026 collegiate season at Iowa.
The 22-year-old Stitrtz is also known for his soft touch and clean mechanics, making him a perfect replacement for Joe, whom the Thunder got from the Philadelphia 76ers in 2022.
GettyLAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 06: Sam Presti speaks onstage during the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Ceremony on January 06, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated)
Sam Presti foresaw the hard goodbyes for some of the Thunder’s role players. He talked about it during the team’s end-of-season interview after they lost in seven games against the San Antonio Spurs.
“I don’t think there have been a lot of teams our age that have been in this kind of apron territory. I thought about it a lot,” he said. “I think one of the things about once you enter into the second apron, or something along those — or the first apron or go deeper, you’ve really got to believe in your coach because the opportunities to really just flip players in and out once you — the solutions are going to be harder to come by once you’re up there, and that’s the whole point of the system, right, is to make it very hard to transact things.”
For now, the Thunder is expected to continue shaving more salaries to keep itself under the second apron.
The team will also be deciding on numerous team options in the offseason, such as Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort, and Kenrich Williams.
Rob Andrew Lo Rob Andrew Lo is a writer at Heavy Sports and is covering the NBA. He has covered local, collegiate, professional and international sports in various sites. He was the sports editor of The Varsitarian, the official student publication of University of Santo Tomas, and a sports, entertainment, and lifestyle writer for Rappler. A Journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, he has built his voice across both collegiate and international platforms, previously contributing NBA coverage to Fansided and Sportskeeda. More about Rob Andrew Lo
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